Place: Ratings & Reviews

I've gone to Cellar Homebrew for a bit over a year now, and though I've found the people that work there to be generally very helpful, lately they've had to be apologetic for their tiny selection. Over the past few months, it seems that they have had a tough time getting and/or keeping malt and hops in stock. They explained that the warehouse where they get most of their product from has been going through a relocation, so everything has been coming in sort of willy-nilly. It's an understandable situation, but frustrating if you're trying to brew on your own timeline.

The Cellar is the closest home brew shop to me yet I find myself only visiting when in a pinch. That's not to say that what they offer is completely insufficient, but more accurately they just don't live up to my needs.

The shop is small, cluttered, and when more than a person or two are browsing grain, cramped. It also is in desperate need of a nice deep cleaning. It almost feels like stepping in a time warp when entering the building. I can almost imagine the place would have looked almost identical ten years ago, though perhaps a bit cleaner back then.

Also in a time warp are the grain mills and scale. The big mill does a fine job, and I get good efficiency with the crush. The small mill borders on useless. The last time I used it my Belgian amber malt wasn't crushed at all and only once I set out to brew with it did I realize. The scale looks to be rescued from a meat counter back in the 50's or 60's. It isn't easy to get very exact measurements when you're dealing with just a few ounces or an ounce and a half.

Despite the mounds of products that make the shop feel so claustrophobic, they lack in selection. Often I've visited, recipe in hand, only to have to improvise off the top of my head to make up for something they lack (English crystal for example). Yeast is another area they lack compared to others. They have dry yeast and a vast selection of Wyeast products but no White Labs (unless they're hidden somewhere).

The employees are generally very helpful, and honest too. I've asked questions and gotten "I don't know as an answer", which I appreciate if they genuinely don't know. That's a much better answer than someone who doesn't know but makes something up instead of admitting it. Also, the grain cards are a tremendous value in my estimation.

Much like brewing, The Cellar is a learning experience. It's a decent shop once you learn their limits and strengths

I stopped in at Cellar Homebrew today to pick up some yeast for brewing on Saturday. It's open 'til 7:00 on weeknights, so it is convenient when I can't get to my regular homebrew store.

Cellar is a bit chaotic inside, which can make it difficult to find what you need while browsing around. I'll admit that it could use a good spring cleaning as well. That said, they do have a fairly good selection of ingredients and equipment. I particularly enjoy that they have a decent selection of kegging equipment and parts.

Service was pretty good; I was the only customer in the store and there were at least two employees hanging around who were ready to help me find stuff and answer my questions, so that was nice. Overall, I like Cellar for convenience and for emergency buys, but I wouldn't make it my regular LHBS.

I drove past this place and stopped in to check it out. It was 30 minutes before they opened but the door was open so I walked in. The guy there, Brian, was very friendly. He showed me around the store and asked me about what I was brewing. I thought they had a pretty good selection of hops, yeast, DME, LME, and bulk grains. I picked up what I needed for my next beer. They had Belgian Caramunich, the Wyeast Farmhouse yeast, and the other ingredients, I needed. I had read the previous reviews of the store and had not bothered going, but while Bob's is still my first choice for homebrew stores in Seattle, I will probably go back to Cellar in the future.

Tucked in a little strip on Greenwood Ave, Cellar Homebrew is an unassuming building and the name seems to fit the little store. The guys there were very helpful and helped me find anything I was looking for.
I was disappointed in the grain selection. I was looking for a specific grain (Crystal 20) and they only had a "light crystal" with no specific designations. They had several hop varieties I hadn't seen elsewhere and a nice selection of glasswear and bottling options. Prices are comparable to the other homebrew shops in the area.

I've been here a few times now, and each time I've been really happy with the level of service I've received. These guys know what they're doing and are more than happy to take a few minutes to help you out. I can't say whether their grain prices are competitive or not because I've honestly only purchased grain from them. I will say however that their product prices (for bottles, fermentors, random home brew supplies) are a little more expensive than some of the big online stores, but it allows you to touch and feel the product before buying and support your local business.

The only thing I'm unhappy with is their selection of grain. It consists mostly of the more common malt and does not include some/any of the more exotic/harder to find malt. This can affect the recipes you're creating.

All in all, I'm happy with this place and will continue to come back again for all my (local) home brew needs.

I've been frequenting The Cellar Homebrew for about a year now and can say that despite it being something of a hole in the hole, it is a great place. The people working there are cheerful and laid back and have always been very helpful in terms of developing recipes and using new equipment/techniques. They may not have quite the grain, hop, or yeast selection of some very large stores or certain online vendors, but what they do have is always fresh and there is plenty of variety for most people.

Like many homebrew shops, they also sell supplies for making cheese, wine, and vinegar. I think some of the guys even keep kombucha culture so you can probably get that if you asked. To top it off, the offer a variety of classes.

Hopefully they will someday see an expansion of the shop. But it is a great place as is.